NFL Eyeing Expansion Of International Play—Here’s Where Scouts Are Looking To Go Next

Topline

The cities of Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have been vetted by NFL officials as the next potential destinations for overseas football games, part of the league’s efforts to expand fandom to international markets and reach a lofty revenue goal.

Inside the stadium prior to the NFL match between Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints at … [+] Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 2, 2022 in London, England.

Getty Images

Key Facts

Amid flattening ticket sales and maxed-out television revenue, the NFL has announced a goal to raise its revenue to $25 billion — 35% higher than what it made last year — by 2027, meaning it will have to look to expansions, fans and marketing opportunities in new countries, per Bleacher Report. as the world’s richest sports league reaches saturation in the United States.

Teams will play five games overseas this year but experts have said it will be much harder for the NFL to see the same overseas success for the uniquely American game than it has been for leagues like the NBA and MLB, since basketball and baseball are played organically by young athletes all over the world.

The NFL last year announced the International Home Marketing Areas initiative to give 19 teams the ability to sell merchandise, accept sponsorships and host in-person events in 25 different countries—including Mexico, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada and Austria—in attempts to drum up a fandom that will travel for games and watch from overseas.

The latest international push is to host games in Spain and Brazil as soon as next year, league executive vice president Peter O’Reilly told ESPN Sunday, adding that both countries have “a lot of interest in the NFL.”

In Spain, Real Madrid’s home stadium Estadio Santiago Bernabeu and Estadio Metropolitano, where La Liga soccer team Atletico Madrid plays, are potential destinations.

Brazil and Spain both have the international marketing rights to the Miami Dolphins, and Spain also has the rights to the Chicago Bears.

German and United States flags are seen inside the stadium prior to the NFL match between Seattle … [+] Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Allianz Arena on November 13, 2022 in Munich, Germany.

Getty Images

Crucial Quote

“We did a Super Bowl viewing party last year down in Brazil, and it was packed and the energy is there,” O’Reilly told ESPN.

Surprising Fact

O’Reilly said the NFL could someday play games as far away as Australia, which has a 14-hour time change from the East Coast and is 17 hours ahead of the West Coast.

Tangent

The NFL has discussed either a new franchise or relocated a team to London on-and-off for the last several years. The Jacksonville Jaguars have long been seen as the most likely team to make the move, in part because billionaire owner Shahid Khan is based in London. Rumors circulated in 2017 that the team may build a permanent training facility in London and Khan reportedly offered to buy Wembley Stadium in 2018, but later rescinded.

Key Background

The NFL has played international games since 2007 but, in recent years, London has been the go-to destination for out-of-the-country matches with the occasional games held in Mexico City and Munich. NFL teams will play five international games this season—two in Germany and three in London. The first will take place at 9:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 1, when the Atlanta Falcons take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. The Jags will play the Buffalo Bills the next week and the Tennessee Titans will play the Ravens in London in Week 6, both at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In Germany, the Dolphins will play the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 5 and the Indianapolis Colts will play against the New England Patriots on Nov. 12. The games at Frankfurt Stadium will mark the second German city to host a professional football match.

Big Number

5.8 million. That’s how many people watched the Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers game at Allianz Arena in Munich last year, breaking a record for international game viewership.